Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Saganash Scores An Early Point

In an interview with APTN National News Monday, Saganash dismissed concerns raised by high-profile Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair who said candidates from Quebec were at a disadvantage in the leadership race because the NDP lacked a provincial wing there.
Mulcair, seen by many as a top NDP candidate, told reporters Monday that he was holding off declaring his intentions to run because he believed the numbers were against him.

Saganash admitted that the newness of the NDP in Quebec and its lack of a provincial base was a “challenge,” but it wasn’t enough to make him back off his leadership bid.
“It is definitely a challenge and every challenge brings an opportunity,” said Saganash. “We have our work cut out for us. Definitely it is not a handicap in my view, rather an opportunity.”

Any Quebec based candidate that wins the leadership race will likely have broad appeal with the general electorate within the province but they will need to have broad appeal with the general electorate outside of the province for the New Democrats to have a shot at forming the next government. And if they need to rely on Quebec candidates to win the leadership race because they can't win over NDP members in the rest of Canada then they most assuredly are not going to win over the general electorate.